I am headed off to “Sin City” next week with 4 of my girlfriends. It has been a long time since I was there last. The year was 1978 and my family drove from Calgary, AB to Scottsdale, AZ for a winter break. We had planned to spend a night one Las Vegas. I was a minor at this time, so there was no gambling done by me. This certainly didn’t minimize my view of Vegas. It was not a vacation spot for children in 1978, but my parents attempted to let us take in what we could. As we drove downtown, I can recall being totally mesmerized by the lights. My brothers on the other hand were all giggles whenever they spotted the exotic dancer bars, and there were LOTS of them. I can recall my mother trying to distract my brother’s views by recommending other sites to look at.

“The Strip” was certainly there, and not like it is now. Most of the hotels that were on “The Strip” in 1978 have been bulldozed and rebuilt into magical palaces. I am not a gambler, but am anxious to try it. I have my allotted amount of gambling money, that I view as my “throwing away” money. If I do win anything, it will just be a bonus. Beating the Casinos is not impossible but I need to be realistic. It is unlikely that I will win with the odds stacked against me. Here are the approximate odds on some of the games in Las Vegas:

Keno - 30%. Slot Machines - 3%-25%
Roulette - 5.25% Video Poker - 0% to 5%
Craps - 1.4%
BlackJack - 0%-3%

I am just looking forward to seeing the shows, hotels, and chillin’ with my girlfriends. There will be no further comments from me on this posting, because “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!” Wish me luck.